Mugabe election: Is AU shedding the colonial yoke?

Dear Editor

When news broke that Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe was chosen a head of African Union (AU), tongues wagged especially in the west. Western media started to ‘remind’ the world how dangerous Mugabe is.

When he took the podium to talk, Mugabe didn’t mince his words. He said that Africa wanted relationship with friends but not with colonialists and imperialists. The latter, he said, have no place in Africa. Is AU starting a new phase of rebellion against her nexus with colonial masters? Does it know the consequence of its actions?

Africa is trying to show western countries that she has her way of doing things especially after China proved another fresh air to African economies. Again, after the prediction that Africa will do better than many western countries economically, maybe, just maybe, African leaders have gotten a hunch of trying to reorganize their alliance with the outside world.

By electing Mugabe to be the new AU chair, African countries are trying to warn western powers that the status quo doesn’t hold water any more.

Electing him is a tactical move of testing the waters. Perhaps annoyed by the way they were robbed of Muamar Gaddafi who used to financially support AU and seeing how China has been of much help, the leaders decided to choose Mugabe, a good friend of China. Mugabe has weathered all storms from the west and is still going from strength to strength in the politics of the continent.

Africa has clearly and loudly made her statement, what will the west do to show its interpretation of the statement? Will it put up and give in and start to lick the wounds or reciprocate by reducing the aid it extends to African countries? Again, shall the west try to punish Africa for electing Mugabe? Will China be passive or come in more forcefully?

By the look of things, shall the west act unwisely in this zero-sum game, two winners are easy to predict, Africa and China will carry the day.

Will this new awakening Africa is making awaken western countries to stop treating her like a baby that has no brain? On the flip side, does AU expect anything new from Mugabe? Does AU want to use Mugabe to voice its anger against the west? Is Mugabe using AU to intimidate his enemies? Who is using whom in this game of treacherous nature?